Mumbai,Nov8:Birders from Maharashtra are all geared up this year in an attempt to once again accomplish their feat of topping the annual countrywide Salim Ali Bird Count like they did in 2015.

The annual event was initiated by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to commemorate the birth anniversary of the ‘Birdman of India’ Dr. Salim Ali.

According to BNHS spokesperson, this year the Salim Ali Bird Count will be held on Sunday, November 13. “It has been decided to dedicate an entire day to birdwatching across the country on the following Sunday of the birthday of Salim Ali, which is on November 12.

This pan-India count is a day-long event open to everyone across the country, with one’s interest in birds being the only criteria for participation.

According to BNHS members, over consecutive years, this bird count could become a means of monitoring the status of birds and their habitats if participants visit the same area every year. “Bird conservation and natural history groups could also use this occasion to organize other events to popularise birdwatching among the general public,” said the spokesperson.

In 2015, birders and birding enthusiasts from 22 states covering 99 districts participated in the bird count, and 15,638 observations were recorded by over 280 people of a total of 514 species of birds during the day.

Out of this, 30 were from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Birds 2015. Maharashtra ranked first with 123 lists being submitted, followed by Kerala with 59 lists, and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with 40 lists each.